The Bargainer
by ColeTurnerFan
Summary: Deal making Man suddenly appears out of nowhere to help Prue in photography. Oneshot


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters of Charmed, nor do I own anything associated with Charmed. I'm only borrowing them, because I love Charmed. Although I do own any of the story I make up, & all characters I make up.

Summary: This takes place in season 2 right between episodes number: 15 Give Me A Sign & number: 16 Murghy's Luck before Prue gets a job as a photographer. At first I was thinking to have this happen to Phoebe, but I think it works better with Prue let me know what you the readers think.

Author's Notes 1: I have just recently started watching Charmed again, & reading the books so expect more stories of Charmed from me, becuase I have had several ideas.

Review: Please do, as long as it's not flaming, & helpful criticism is as always welcomed.

Archive: Please don't, unless you ask me first.

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The Bargainer

Prue in a darkroom working on photos "Dammit !" Prue yells for like the tenth time, both Phoebe & Piper has learned to ignore their older sisters random outbursts, Phoebe watching tv right at this moment of time, & Piper is sound asleep in her bedroom "I just can't seem to get this right" thinking to herself asking _'The pictures just keep on turning out wrong to me, I need to get this right whats wrong ?'_ further asking herself _'Is it the location'_ or '_Is it how I'm handling the flim exposures'_

Paying attention to the picture, not paying attention to what, or who is behind her appearing suddenly out of nowhere in the manor "May I be of assitance ?" Prue turns around suddenly momentarily surprised using her power, but her power only slightly manages to push his shoulder back, he raises his right arm brushing his left shoulder off with the back of his hand as if an insect had landed on it.

Prue tries using her power again to no avail, as he just stares at her like are you going to answer my question, or are we going to play all night. Starting at the head she takes stock of him dark dark brown hair so dark in fact that it appears black, deep dark brown inset eyes with glasses on, wearing a black & purple striped three piece suit, a blood red neck tie around his neck, & finally polished black penny loafers for shoes to top it all off.

"Who are you ?" asks Prue her voice stern, standing tall

"Who I am is of no concern" smiling like a madman in the shadows of the darkroom "But what I can do for you is"

"And what is it exactly do you think you can do for me ?" asks Prue taking two steps closer to the door of the darkroom

The Man just simply shakes his head & says in response "Lets not play games shall we" still shaking his head as if dealing with a child in need of guidance "If you want to leave theres the door" raising his right arm toward the door to make his point "I'm not forcing you to stay, nor am I going to do you any harm"

"Then what do you want ?" asks Prue more then slightly annoyed with clenched teeth almost grinding them

Smiling the darkroom doing his smiles no justice "A deal to be made" going on further "Thats it you need my help, I am here to help you"

Prue takes two more steps towards the door of the darkroom "What sort of help do I need ?" playing dumb, placating The Man, or demon, or warlock, whatever he maybe. Deciding for now to just call him The Man.

The Man inhales deeply counting to 10 in his mind _'1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10...'_ then exhales just has deeply thinking to himself _'Why must this always be so hard'_ then says "Your pictures, I can help you capture the perfect picture" smiling more widely then necessary "That will open up far more doors for you then you can even imagine"

Prue puts her hand on the handle of the darkroom door, true to his word The Man does nothing to stop her, she asks "And what is the price ?..." smirking "No wait let me guess my soul" having no real intentions of following through with the deal only wanting to get to the Book of Shadows to vanquish his sorry ass.

"Oh nothing so lame" says The Man "Just a trinket of yours, an object, it could be anything of your choosing well actually to be more honest my choosing, but still I don't deal in souls such a messy business...souls are. Although it will be something you normally would never part with"

Turning the handle to exit Prue says "And I guess thats just to control me some how"

"Nor do I deal in control. Also a messy business" responds The Man in all seriousness. Looking sky ward, coughing alittle going into what seems to Prue as a practiced speech "I am niether good nor evil, I don't force people to make deals with me nor do I hit them at there lowest points, I just collect personal objects, I just am so it is written so it be done"

"I need sometime to think about it" Prue says stalling, Phoebe walks by the make shift darkroom in the manor over hearing both Prues voice, & what appears to be a males voice, she knocks "Prue, Prue are you alright ?" asks Phoebe

Prue opens the door turning to look at her sister then turning back to look at The Man, The Man is gone vanished out of thin air, but she hears his droning voice inside of her head _'You have exactly 24 hours to the minute, to the second'_

Turning back now to look at her sister Prue runs out the door past her sister & up the stairs to the attic shouting as she goes "We need the Book of Shadows"

"Why ?" asks Phoebe following right behind "What happened ?"

"Demon" is all Prue has to say, Piper sleeping soundly in her bedroom

"Right"

They reach the Book of Shadows as Prue recounts what happened in detail, telling her sister the time limit. Looking through the Book of Shadows for hours flipping through its pages finding nothing, nada, zepo, & zero. Morning finally comes then after noon, then late after noon still having found nothing. Phoebe by this time having filled Piper in on what happened to Prue. Phoebe searchs the internet to find anything dealing with demons, or warlocks that make deals.

Phoebe goes back up to the attic where Prue & Piper are "Found nothing useful. Found demons who steal souls, who bargain for souls always to their own advantage, warlocks who take objects of their victems to control them but nothing about demons or warlocks who just makes deals to make deals" says Phoebe more then slightly annoyed with herself for finding nothing on the internet

"Much the same for the Book of Shadows" says Piper irritation clearly in her voice

Phoebe getting an idea walks up to the book slamming her palms down on the podium "Gosh we're never going to find anything on this jerk !" she shouts smiling evilly, the pages of the Book of Shadows start flipping rapidly stopping on a page, Phoebe looks down at the book, putting her index finger on the page reading the passage out loud "The Bargainer, He comes to those in need of services always for a price however"

"Is that all the book says about him ?" asks Prue

"More importantly our ancestor couldn't think of a better name" says Piper

Turning to face Prue first "No, theres more you just have to let me read it" says Phoebe commonly "It says his price varys once a lighter without fuel, another time a candle, and yet another time a dirty sock, gees" first answering Prues question then turning to face Piper "His never given out his true name from what I can gather"

"So" says Pipers "Our ancestors have had dealings with him before ?" asks Piper

"Yeah appearently so" respond Phoebe "Not all of them good either, also from what I can gather on the page he works sorta like a genie, except you don't get three wishs, he only appears once, and whatever he does for you comes at a price of a personal belonging or object"

"Ut-Oh" says Piper "That doesn't sound good" then says clarifying herself "I mean the part about not all of them being good"

"Well theres only three complaints" says Phoebe

"And ?" asks Prue

"Well one of our relatives asked for money" Phoebe says "That he wouldn't do"

"So one of our relatives is complaining about him not doing something" Piper says

"That would have fallen into the personal gain categroy anyway" Prue says, then asks "And ?"

"Another wanted her yard to be the prettist on the block, so apparently not only did he kill off all plants on the block, but made hers grow abnormal sizes, he asked for a full bloomed rose as a price for that one" straining to read the page "She got burned at the stake two months later, because even in the heart of full winter her plants were in full bloom"

"Finally ?" asks Piper one of her eyebrows raised

"Last, but not least" Phoebe states "Asked for her daughter to be safe during the Salem witch trails" reading the page her eyes moving

"The anticipation Phoebe'" says Piper

"Well" states Phoebe "From what I can accumulate..." both Prue & Piper giving Phoebe wierd looks for her usage of accumulate, Phoebe finally noticing "Wwwwwhat ? College remember you two" continueing in what she was going to say "He made it where nobody could see her, not even the mother his price for that a teddy bear"

"In other words his prices match what the person asks for" Piper says coming to that conclusion

"Yes..." says Phoebe "But not always"

"Well ?" turning the word into a question says Prue "Is there away to vanquish, or kill him by spell, or potion, or Power of Three" naming all three ways to do it

Looking over the page again the print really small filling the whole page Phoebe shakes her head _'No'_ then says "But apparently from what I've read on this page he doesn't hold grudges for turning down his offer, strangely enough from what I can gather he actually prefers for people to do whatever it maybe on their own, his just here, or there as a devils advocate in away"

"So in other words all I have to do is say No, and he goes away" Prue says

"Yeah pretty much" responds Phoebe

"Hold up" Piper says playing devils advocate herself "Why not listen to what he wants, I mean its not like you'd be giving up your soul, because if that was the case I'd agree in not doing it, but if all he wants is a personal belonging why not, if it can help you ?"

Prue asks her sister "Have you not been listening to what Phoebe just read Piper the things he grants you comes at the price of something bad happening ?" looking at Phoebe "Back me up here Phoebs"

"Actually..." Phoebe responds to Prue "I would if I could but thats not always the case either, because there is plenty of other things on this page where bad things didn't happen in return..." Phoebe thinks to herself a little in reflection "Personally I think in those two instances thats all he could do to grant them what they wanted"

Piper smiles gloating alittle "See" then says "So all you would have to do is ask for something in such away where there would be down fall to it"

"I guess thats true" says Prue giving alittle now, & also thinking alittle bit about it now "I'll have to think about it I still got..." looking at her watch "Like four hours"

"Do you think you'll be alright on your own dealing with him ?" asks Piper

"Yeah, I think so" responds Prue

"Good" Piper says, then states "Because, no offense or anything but I got stocking and orders to do at P3 and they wait for no man, or in this case woman" Piper leaves the attic

"Are you sure honey ?" asks Phoebe

"Yeah I'll be fine" says Prue, Phoebe leaves the attic herself leaving Prue by herself to ponder _'Just fine'_ Prue thinks to herself

* * *

Four Hours Later...

Prue sitting down on the couch in the living room having already made her choice, now just waiting for the Bargainer to arrive, Piper & Phoebe both out of the manor. Suddenly the air in the room gets sucked out almost like a vortex of sorts, & things go eerily quiet even on the outside. The Bargainer appears wearing exactly the samething he was yesterday, & also right on time to the second, furthermore some might even say the millisecond. Smiling he asks "Well your choice ?"

Prue deciding that it wasn't just the darkroom ruining his smile, its got to me him, something off about him or strange just wierd odd in away "What would you want in return ?" asks Prue

"A picture of the three of you, the Charmed Ones thats it, thats all I want for the help that you would be recieving from me" says the Bargainer

"Why ?" Prue asks

"Well" says the Bargainer walking to the door frame, then leaning on the frame in the inbetween "One of you will die soon, and I want a picture of the great Charmed Ones whole"

Concern in her voice Prue asks "Which one of us will die ?"

"That I do not know. It is strange how the universe works" says the Bargainer, Prue nodding her head in agreement

"Well" says Prue "My answer is no I can do it on my own"

""Fair enough" the Bargainer says with no malice in his voice what so ever only a smirk as if that is the answer he expected all along, turning to leave now walking towards the door

"Wait !" says Prue "I have one more question"

"Whats that ?" the Bargainer asks not slowing down nor turning around

"Whats your real name ?" asks Prue

Laughing the Bargainer responds "I've been asked that countless times, and my response stays the same every single little time" walking through the unopened door vanishing as he does so, leaving Prue by herself in the manor _'Where I come from true names are power'_ speaking inside of Prues head again, Prue hearing his voice everywhere yet nowhere. Prue now going where this all started to begin with, the dark room.

The End...

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Author's Notes 2: The death I mention near the very end of the story is Prue's death in season 3 episode number: 22 All Hell Breaks Loose for all of my readers that might be curious to know.


End file.
